Local Police Academy Invites Colin Kaepernick to Visit

Christian Petersen / Getty30 Aug 2016

A Bay Area police academy has invited San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to visit, following his refusal to stand for the Star-Spangled Banner in protest at police violence in the black community.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office specifically responded to Kaepernick’s comment, as reported by the Los Angeles Times: “You can become a cop in six months and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist … That’s insane. Someone that’s holding a curling iron has more education and more training than people that have a gun and are going out on the street to protect us.”

The Sheriff’s Office published an open letter to Kaepernick on its Facebook page:

To: Colin Kaepernick

From: Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

Open Invitation to Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Center.

During a post-game interview on August 28, 2016, you stated the following: “You can become a cop in six months, and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist, that’s insane. “

We would like to cordially invite you to the Alameda County Regional Training Center (RTC) in Dublin, CA. The RTC is currently in session hosting our 156th and 157th basic police academies. In addition to the academy, we train thousands of law enforcement officers from throughout the state and country in all aspects of our profession, including use of force. We have a specially designed Use of Force simulator that puts officers in situations where they must make split second decisions on what actions to take. In addition, we invite you to meet with our current academies and veteran officers to talk to them about their experiences and yours.

We hope that you will take this opportunity to meet with a new generation of law enforcement officers and have an open dialogue.

Sincerely,

The Deputies of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office

Merely 14 hours after being posted Monday evening, the Facebook post had 726 comments as of early Tuesday morning. Most were supportive: “Good for you Alameda County for inviting him instead of just shrugging his terrible statement off!!” one woman wrote. “That’s what’s the matter with our world people want others to feel like they do on certain topics and if they don’t they just shut them out and so it goes. The world becomes more divided!”

Others, however, supported the 49ers quarterback: “He may not be accurate on everything he’s talking about but he is right about police brutality and the targeting of African Americans…not all cops are bad but to [sic] many are getting away murder period…Video tape evidence and thats not enough to convict a bad officer…This country has a long history on violating African American rights and white supremacy is very strong and alive in America…I don’t hate know one but the truth is the truth…”.

Kaepernick, who was fined in 2014 for using the “N-word” against opponents, says he will continue to sit out the national anthem until he sees “major change” in America, the Times reports.

KRON-4 local news reported that the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office believes that Kaepernick is “definitely misinformed.” Spokesman J.D. Nelson noted that deputies undergo rigorous background checks and more than 1,000 hours of training even after officers leave the academy. “I think he’d be impressed” if he visited, Nelson said, calling Kaepernick’s criticism “unfair.”

He added a challenge to Kaepernick: “Are you going to be a person that actually goes out and does something about it, or are you going to be the proverbial Monday-morning quarterback, and criticize and do nothing about it?” Nelson asked.